Engaged couple Genelle Babin and Tyson Frank are on “countdown” for 2016.

Not only will the French immersion teacher and the salesperson for a plumbing and heating company be getting married, they will be moving into their first home together.

“We’re on countdown for both,” says the 27-year-old Babin who teaches and currently rents a condo in Okotoks.

The couple has purchased a duplex by Trico Homes in the southeast Legacy community.

“There is really a small town feel” in the new neighbourhood, says Frank, who grew up on a Saskatchewan farm.

“Genelle comes from rural Nova Scotia so we won’t feel like we are stuck in the middle of the hustle and bustle” of a big city, yet at the same time they will be close to commercial areas in Walden and the growing centre around the South Health campus.

The great room in the Livingston model of duplex by Trico Homes in Legacy.

The kitchen in the Livingston model of duplex by Trico Homes in Legacy.

The master bedroom and sitting area in the Livingston model of duplex by Trico Homes in Legacy.

The sitting area in the master bedroom in the Livingston model of duplex by Trico Homes in Legacy.

A secondary bedroom in the Livingston model of duplex by Trico Homes in Legacy.

A secondary bedroom in the Livingston model of duplex by Trico Homes in Legacy.

The main bathroom in the Livingston model of duplex by Trico Homes in Legacy.

The exterior of the Livingston model of duplex by Trico Homes in Legacy.

Trico just launched its sixth phase of the popular duplexes, including a unique four-bedroom model, the Lougheed.

“When we opened our sales centre in Legacy — when the community launched two years ago — the Lougheed was one of our show homes and it quickly became the most popular model in our first phase,” says Erin Jorgenson, area sales manager for the company, along with Carmen Bolin, in Legacy.

“It’s unusual in a duplex — and even in a single family home.”

The four-bedroom plan was driven by buyer demand.

In this sixth phase of duplexes, six of the 20 homesites can accommodate the wider models (the Livingston and Lougheed). The four-bedroom Lougheed plan comes with the option of turning the fourth bedroom into a loft area.

“A lot of people have more than two or three children and they want the space, or they want an extra bedroom for guests,” says Jorgenson.

She says buyers of the three models of duplexes (the third is the Emerson) are also drawn to the nine-foot ceilings on the main floor and the beautiful large windows.

“The kitchens are unexpectedly large, as well — most people say that are equivalent to what they would expect in a larger single family home.”

Jorgenson and Bolin are seeing two main demographic groups purchasing Trico’s duplexes — young couples without kids as of yet and young families, along with downsizing empty nesters.

“Legacy is a community that offers homes for people in any phase of their life whether it’s their very first home or their last,” Jorgenson says.

And like Babin and Frank, she says buyers are attracted to the “country living vibe” that Legacy offers across its 300 acres of land.

“The residents here enjoy the walking paths that wrap around our ponds and the views of the rolling hills and mountains. Once the community is complete there will be 15 kilometres of walking trails.”

Future community plans also include a community garden and 800,000 square feet of retail space.

Babin and Frank bought the Livingston duplex, which is the show home for this phase.

Their home, with just over 1,600 square feet, allowed them the option (which they took and which Jorgenson says is by far one of the most sought-after features of this home — “it’s a real treat”) of adding a sunroom retreat in the master bedroom.

“The home is really spacious and a place we can stay in for quite a while,” says Babin.

The couple started looking for a home after they got engaged in December.

They have friends who already live in Legacy so they looked there and Trico’s offering caught their eyes.

“It had everything we wanted,” says Babin. “We looked at others but we kept going back to the Trico show home.”

When looking at starting a life together, Frank says the economics of the situation also made buying attractive.

With both currently renting — Daniel is in Auburn Bay — buying meant a big saving.

“I pay $1,850 a month alone and it is apparently going up in June,” he says. “In Legacy, we will be in our own home, building up equity and paying less.”

The couple also looks forward to biking and walking the pathways in the quiet community while also being close to major traffic routes (Macleod Trail and Stoney Trail) that can take Babin to her job in Okotoks and Daniel to sales calls throughout the city.

“It really is the best of both worlds,” says Daniel.

ABOUT THE BUYERS

Genelle Babin, 27, is a French immersion teacher in Okotoks. Tyson Frank, 28, is a sales representative for a plumbing/heating company whose head office is in Calgary. The couple is engaged to be married in early 2016 — around the same time they expect to move into their first home together.

What they bought: The Livingston model, which is the show home for the sixth phase of the Trico duplexes in Legacy. They added the option of a master retreat area.

The home is more than 1,600 square feet.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

WHAT’S AVAILABLE: Three models of duplexes (Lougheed, Livingston, Emerson), ranging in size from 1,530 to 1,680 square feet and with three or four bedrooms. All come with a double detached garage.COMMUNITY: Legacy, one of the city’s newest communities, in southeast Calgary.BUILDER: Trico HomesDEVELOPER: WestCreek DevelopmentsPRICES: Starting from $399,000 including lot and GST.SHOW HOME: 52 Legacy Gate S.E. Head south on MacLeod Trail, turn left on 210th Avenue S.E., and keep going until you see the entrance to Legacy. Continue until you reach Legacy Gate.HOURS: Mondays to Thursday, 2 to 8 p.m.; closed Fridays. Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, noon to 5 p.m.

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